Radiator-shutter control



y 14, c. PIPENHAGEN 1,712,519

RADIATOR SHUTTER CONTROL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 21, 192'? WW I y 14, 1929- c. A. PIPENHAGEN 2,519

RADIATOR SHUTTER CONTROL Filed April 21, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jill/6311 07.

CarZewA Ripe/aka e22.

" r %CL MW Patented May 14, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. PIPENHAGEN, OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB. TO PINES WINTER- RADIATOR-SHUTTER CONTROL.

Application filed April 21,

My invention relates to radiator shutter controls for automobiles and is of general application to all existing controls, whether they be actuated automatically by thermostatic means or manually.

It is a well-known fact that internal combustion engines of automotive vehicles operate most efficiently at a temperature slightly below the boiling'point of water, and it is the object of all radiatorshutter controls to provide means for the control of the flow of the air about the radiator to maintain the engine at its most efficient op erating temperature.

It is also desirable, when the internal combustion engine is stopped, to immediately close the shutters, thereby retaining as muc of the. heat of the engine as possible to keep the engine at the best operating temperature in order to operate most efficiently when the engine shall again be started.

One of the objects of my invention is the provision of a radiator shutter control whereby the shutters are automatically moved to closed position, independent of other manual or thermal controls, when the car is brought to a more or less permanent standstill or when the car is parked.

The ordinary manual controls leave this important function of closing the shutters, on parking the car, to the haphazard action of the operator himself, who may forget this matter entirely. It is almost universally the custom of drivers to apply the emergency brake when parking a car, and another of the objects of my invention is the provision of a radiator shutter control including means, independent of the manual or thermal con trol, capable of actuating the shutters to closed position by the act ofapplying the emergency brake.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a radiator shutter control of the class described, including a simple pulley device which can be readily applied to the present thermal and manual controls witln out alteration of the existing shutter struc-.

ture.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a radiator shutter control of the class described which is actuated by the application of a brake and which includes means for permitting free application of the brake to any extent, as well as means for actuating the shutters to closed position.

1927. Serial No. 185,373.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear more fully from the following description and from the accompanymg drawings, in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts -throughout the several views.

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of an automo bile equipped with a thermostatic control and my radiator shutter control, with the hoodremoved to show the details of my control.

Fig. 2 is a similar View of an automobile equipped with both a manual control and with my radiator shutter control.

Fig. 3 is a detail, elevational view partially broken away to show the actuating mechanism of the shutter employed in Figs. 1 and 2. v

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional View taken on the lines 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is anenlarged detail view of the pulley plate employed with my control, showm its application to the radiator core.

Fig. 6 is a front, elevational View of the pulley plate.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, I have here illustrated the essential parts of the usual radiator shutter control which co-operate with my shutter control in a novel manner. The radiator shutter may comprise a shutter frame, indicated in its entirety at 10, having upper and lower frame members 11 connected by'side frame members 12 to form a substantially rectangular fenestration-for pivotally supporting a plurality of shutters 13.

The shutters 13 comprise a plurality of similar sheet metal members having their upper and lower edges formed with flanges and adapted to co-operate with each other to completely close the fenestration when the shutters are in the position shown in Fig. 3. The shutters 13 are provided at each end with journals 14 pivoted in the side frame pieces 12, and each of the shutters may be provided with a backwardly extending flange 15 which is pivotally connected to an actuating bar 16 adapted to operate all, or at least a plurality, of the shutters simultaneously.

The actuating bar 16 is provided with a projecting stud I'Tadapted to pivotally receive the inwardly turned end of a connecting rod 18, having its other end pivotally connected with a bell crank 19 rotatably supported upon the upper frame member 11.

The framework 11 is provided with an*11(' ing 25. The crank rod 23 is provided with a laterally projecting U-shaped bend 26, extending in front of the thermostat 21 and normally, in contact with the central boss 27 upon the thermostat. The lower end of the crank rod 23 is backwardly bent, as at 28, and

is pivotally connected with a spring 29 which forms an extension of the connecting rod 30, having its other end pivoted in the shorter arm of the bell crank 19.

The entire radiator shutter may be covered with the usual shell or casing 31, here shown in cross section, and the shutters may be biased to closed position by a spring 32 tensioned between the bracket 33 on the shell and the stud 17 on the actuating bar 16. It should be noted that the backwardly turned flanges project upward so that, when the shutters are in closed position, as shown in Fig. 3, these flanges are at the beginning of their range of downward movement, during which they open the shutters.

The method of operation of the structure so far described is as follows:

The shutters 13 are normally closed when the engine is cool, thereby retaining as much of the heat as possible and preventing a circulation of the cooling air through the radiator until the engine has reached its most efficient operating temperature. the thermostat 21, which may consist of the usual water containing a volatile fluid, is adapted to expand sufficiently to rotate the crank arm 26 outward from the drawin in Fig. 3,.turning the backwardly exten ing end 28 to the right, and drawing the spring 29 and connecting rod 30 toward the right.

The spring 29 should be of greater strength than the spring 32 so that the connecting rod 30 may rotate the bell crank 19 counterclockwise, pushing the connecting rod 18 downward, as well as the shutter bar 16, against the tension of the spring 32, and actuating the shutters to open position. The vspring 29, not only provides a flexible connection between the thermostat and shutters to permit actuation of the shutters, but it permits further expansion of the thermostat 21 after the shutters have been moved to full open position, thereby preventing damage to the thermostat.

While 'it isessential that means he provided between the thermostat and the shutters, permitting independent actuation by my control, I desire tobe understood that my rad1ator shutter control is of general appli- At this pointcation to all types of shutters having this characteristic, whether manual or automatic, and whether the shutters be vertically pivoted or horizontally pivoted. It will, also, be observed that my radiator shutter control may be emplo ed with a shutter structure of entirely di erent form, such as sliding shutters; and the above shutter description is merely illustrative of one embodiment.

My radiator shutter control is preferably employed with a shutter of the general type shown in my prior Patent, No. 1,533,460, issued April 14, 1925, for shutter apparatus for radiators, and the other details of shutter structure may be those shown in said patent.

Referring to Fig. 1, 34 indicates, in its entirety', an automobile having the usual internal combustion engine 35, surrounded by a water-jacket which is connected at its top and bottom with the interior of the radiator shell 36. The radiator shell 36 encloses the usual radiator core 37, having a plurality of transverse apertures 38 to permit the flow of the cooling air about the radiator core to maintain the engine at a permissible operating temperature.

The radiator core 37 may be covered with a radiator shutter 10, of the type shown in Figs. 3 and 4, having a thermostat 21 adapted to open the shutters when the engine has reached the most eflicient operating temperature, and the automobile 34 is provided with the usual emergency brake lever 39 having a toothed sector and ratchet to hold it in any position to which it is actuated.

The brake 39 is, of course, connected in the usual manner with the mechanism of the usual emergency brake shoes, and the structure of these parts is so well known to those skilled in the art that further description of the same is considered unnecessary. It is preferable, however, that the brake selected to actuate the control he a brake of the type usually termed an emergenc brake, which is generally set' by hand wien the ear is brought to a more or less permanent standstill, as in parking.

The emergency brake lever 39 is provided with an operative connection leading to the shutters 13 or some part connected thereto. which may comprise a flexible member and a series of pulleys and levers which are adapted to permit such flexible member to extend along an irregular line of connection through the available open spaces underneath the floor board and hood.

For instance, the floor board 40 may be pro vided with an aperture 41 and a bracket 42 on its lower side, pivotally supporting a bell crank 43. A flexible member 44, such as a steel wire or cable, may be pivotally connected at one end to the vertical arm of the bell crank 43 and at the other end to a collar 45, securely fixing this end to the emergency brake lever 39.

The automobile may also be provided with a conventional pulle 46, supported upon the rear side of the dash at a convenient height to permit the flexible member 47 of steel wire or cable to clear the a strong spring 48, the other end of the spring being attached to the horizontal arm of the bell crank 43.

The forward end of the flexible member 47 may extend through one of the apertures 38 of the radiator core,

' ber 49 upon a pulley plate 50, further to be closed, but upon increase a right.

mg upward the stud described, and 'over a pulley 51, the lower end of the flexible member 47 being affixed to any movable part of the shutter actuating bar 16, such as the stud 17.

The operation of the foregoing radiator control is as follows: v

The length of the flexible members 44 and 47 and the spring 48 should be such that, when the emergency brake is completely freethat is, when the brake is not applied and is in its forward position-the radiator shutters may open, but the foregoing flexible members have no unnecessary slack.

l/Vhen the engine is cool and the emergency brake 39 is free, the shutters will be normally of the temperature of'the engine to a point above the most efficient operating temperature, the thermostat 21 will actuate the'crank rod its end 28 to the right, tensloning the spring 29 and moving the connecting rod 30 to the This will rotate the bell crank 19 counter-clockwise, depressing the connecting rod 18and the shutter bar 16 and ,opening the shutters, against the tension of the spring As sufficient slack is provided in the flexible members 44 and 47 to permit the shutters to be open when the brake lever is forward, the emergency'brake will not interfere with the normal operation of the thermostatic control of the shutters.

When the driver brings his car to a standstill, for the purpose of parking or, other occasions when he comes to a more or less permanent standstill, he, will apply the emergency brake 39, thereby drawing the col- 45 backward, as well as the flexible mem- 43 'will then be rodrawing downward and the end of the tension memwill pass over its pulleys, draw- 17 on the shutter bar and closing the shutters. i

counter-clockwise, the spring 48 ber 47, which 30, will, of course, be actuated; but the resilient connection provided between these member s and the thermostat by the spring 339 will permit such necessary movement.

It will thus be observed that, if, on stopping the machine and engine 35, and one end of the flexible member 47 may be attached to through a tubular memthe shutters against the action of 29 1 A one of said flanges,

applying the emergency brake, the shutters are then in open position, the brake will move them to closed position, but if the shutters are already in closed posi tion, the brake will thereafter hold them in such posi ion until its release, thereby removing the shutters from thermal control while the car is at a permanent standstill. The shutters will then be closed immediately upon stopping the car, circulation of the air through the radiator will cease, and the shut ters will prevent loss of the heat After the brake lever 39 hasreached such position that the shutters are closed, further movement of the brake and its full application to stop the car are permitted by means of the spring 48 which is then stretched to permit this movement. As the spring 48 is of greater strengthwhan adapted to actuate the shutters 13 to closed position against the tension of the spring 29, but after the shutters have been closed and one end of the flexible member 47 is thus held in fixed permit the full and free application of the emergency brake.

As the spring 32 aids the action of the spring 48 in closing the shutters, it would theoretically be sufficient that the combined tensions of these springs be adequate to close the spring In order to'provide for the convenient application of the existing shutter structures,

I have pro vided a novel pulley plate 50 which is adaptof the engine.

my radiator shutter control to the spring 29, it is position, the spring 48 will give, to

ed to be inserted within the radiator'shutter shell between vide the necessary pulley for member 47. substantially flat ort'ion 52, which may be of any, convenient siape, having an elongated aperture 53 which is adapted to receive the bolt 54. The plate 52 is provided at its loW- er edge with an aperture 55, having a tubular said shell and frame, to prothe flexible member 49 surrounding the same and projecting backward from the plate 52.

In practice, the iently stamped by appropriate machinery, from sheet metal forming the apertures and tubular member 49, at a single operation,

manner that the pulley 51 may be rotatably.

plate 52 may be conven-' The pulley plate 50 compries a supported upon a pin 60, with its notched periphery 61 tangentially disposed relative to the tubular member 49. It will thus be observed that the flexible member 47 may pass through the tubular member 49, about the notched periphery 61 of the pulley 51, without havin frictional contact with any part of the pul ey plate.

The radiator core 37 may be provided w1th a washer 62 of felt, leather or other material,

' adapted to protect the radiator core.

The bolt 54 may be passed through the aperture 53 in the plate 52, throu h an aperture in said washer, througho'ne 0 the apertures 38 of the radiator core and fastened upon the rear side of the radiator core the elongated aperture 3 coreby friction elongated aperture permits adjustment of the s1 ace between the tubular member 49 and the bolt 54 to fit any conditions and t5 center the tubularmember 49 within an aperture 38 of the core, so that the flexible member 47 is spaced from the parts of the core 37, being thereby prevented from doing injury to the or otherwise.

The entire'pulley plate 50 may be made of; such size that it is readily inserted within the usual radiator shutter shell 31, between said shell and the frame, and when supported upon the radiator core, as described, it performs the functions of providing apulley for the flexible member and protecting the radiator core from any injury by the flexible member.

Referring to the modification shown in Fig. 2, I have here shown mycontrol in com-: bination with a manually operated shutter.

V v The details of structure of the radiator shut- I I ten-10 maybe exactly as described in the pre- 7 vious embodiment, with the following exceptions The thermostat 21, crank rod 23, spring 29, rods 30. and 18, and bell crank 19 are omitted and the bracket 33' is located below thestud 17. The spring 32 is tensioned betweenthe stud 17 and bracket 32, biasing the shutters to open position. The flexible member 47' may pass over a pulley 51 and may be attached to the stud 17 as inthe previous embodiment, and the shutters are actuated 55 to closed position by exerting sufiicient tensiondn the flexible member 47 to overcome the spring 32. For this purpose, the automobile-dash may be provided with approprlate manual means for actuating the shutters and the position of the shutters 13 controlled by means of the flexible member 47.

The automobile may be provided with a double pulley bracket 66, supported upon the rear of the dash 67, and having a pair of pulleys 68 and 69 rotatably supported in said by a similar .washer 45 bracket. The bracket 66 may consist of any ordinary bifurcated member having means to support two pulleys rotatably therein and means for attachment to the dash 67.

As distinguished from the preceding embodiment, the horizontal arm 70 of the bell crank 71 is bifurcated, rotatably supporting at its end a pulley 72, and the floor board 40 should preferably be provided with a stop member 73 to definitely fix the normal position of the bell crank 71.

The vertical arm of the bell crank 71 may be connected to a spring 74, which is, in turn,

connected to a flexible member 44, fixed to the emergencylever 39 by means of a collar In this embodiment, therefore, the tension member 47 will extend from the stud 17 over a pulley 51, about a pulley 68 in the bracket 66, down about the pulley 72 on the bell crank 71, up over a pulley 69, through an aperture in the dash 67 to a manual actuator 75.

The manual actuator 75 may consist of a plate 7 6 having a threaded aperture to receive the-stem 77 of the actuator, and the position of the flexible member 47 may be adjusted by turning the handle 75 to adjust the position of the threaded stem 77. The handle 75 may be provided with a pointer and the plate 76 with the usual indications of Closed.

The pitch of the threads upon the stem 77. should be such that the handle 75 will point to the proper indication at the time when the shutters 13 have been actuated to the corresponding position and, if desired, the member 47 may be connected to the end of the stem 77 by a swivel connection.

The operation of this embodiment of my radiator control is as follows:

Normally, when the car is being operated, the emergency brake lever 39 is maintained in its extreme forward position, with the brakes free, and the length of the flexible member be such that the handle 75 will indicate the position of the shutters when the bell crank 71 is in this position. The shutters may then be controlled manually in the usual manner by the operator by means of the handle 75. 'On bringing the car to a permanent standstill, as ln parking, the operator will apply the emergency brake by means of the lever 39, whereu on the flexible member 44 and spring 74 Wlll rotate the bell crank 71 counterclockwise, moving the pulley 72 downward and drawing the tension member 47 downward. As the rear end of the flexible member 47 is fixed, the shutters 13 will be actuated to closed position by the op )OSltC end of the flexible member 47 and this action will take place, no matter what the position of the handle 75 or the shutters 13 may be. If

maintained in this position by tlon of the emergency brake.

lll

- ot construction set forth limited to the specific type of shutter means -modifications may be ma In this embodiment, the spring 74 is of greater strength than the spring 32, and after the shutters 13 have been closed, further movement of the brake lever 39 to apply. the makes is permitted by the extension of the spring 74 in a manner similar to that pre-, viously described.

While I have shown the tension member attached to the brak e lever 39, it is'obvious ing the tension memberto any appropriate part of the brake mechanism, and I do not desire to be limited to the precise method of attachment r a It will thus be observed that I have invented a radiator shutter control which is of general application to both thermally and manually actuated shutters and which is adapted to move the shutters to closed position immediately upon bringing the car to a permanent standstill.

It will further be observed that this result is accomplished by the application of the emergency brake and that my radiator shutter control may be applied to all'types of existing radiator structures, without alteration and without affecting the normal operation and full application of the brake.

l desire it to be understood that my invention may be employed not only where a single set of shutters is controlled by the brake, but where part of the shutters trolled manually or by where the lower shutters to closed position first, and

a thermostat and are to be actuated I do not wish to be illustrated. v

ile I have illustrated and described a specific embodiment of m invention, many e without departing t'rom the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details but desire to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claims.

1 l atent of the United States invention, what Secure by Letters is as follows:

1. ln a radiator shutter control, the com-- bination of shutter means for controlling the flow of air through the radiatorof an automotive vehicle with brake means for controllingthe motion of said vehicle, and operative connections between said shutter means and brake means whereby said shutter means is actuated by the operation of said bra g means.

E. la a radiator shutter control, the'combination of shutter means for controlling the llovv of air through the radiator of an automotive vehicle, with an emergencybrake, and operative connections between said shutter Having thus described my l claim as new and desire to shutter means,

brake lever, tween the foregoing elements permitting control of said shutter means by said thermal and said brake means and said brake permitting further movement of said brake outside the range of movement of said shutters.

In a radiator shutter control, the combination of shutter means for controlling the flow of air through the radiator of an automotive'vehicle, with an emergency brake, and operative connections between said brake and including resilient means adapted to actuate said shutter and to permit further movement of said emergency brake after said shutter is closed.

4. In a radiator shutter control, the combination o shutter means for controlling the flow of air through the radiator of an automotive vehicle, with thermal means for controlling the position of said shutter means, an emergency brake, and operative connections between the foregoing elements permitting control of said shutter means by said thermal means and independent closure of said shutter means by applying said brake.

5. In a radiator shutter control, the combination of shutter means for controllingthe flow of air through the radiator of an automotive vehicle, with manual means for controlling the position of said shutter means, an emergency brake, and operative connections between the foregoing elements permitting control of said shutter means by said thermal means and independent closure of said shutter means 6. In a radiator shutter control, the combination of shutter means for controlling the flow of air through the radiator of an automotive vehicle, with thermal means for controlling the' position of said shutter means,

by applying said brake.

manual means for controlling the position of said shutter means comprising an emergency and operative connections bemeans and independent closure of said shutter means by applying said brake.

7. In a radiator shutter control, the combination of a radiator of an automotive vehicle, with a plurality "of shutters for controlling the flow of air through said radiator, a spring for biasing said shutters to closed position, means foractuating said shutters to open position, an emergency brake, and operative connections between said shutters whereby said shutters are' actuatedto closed position by the application of said brake.

8. In a radiator shutter control, the combination of a radiator of an automotive vehicle, with a plurality of shutters for controlling the flow of air through said radiator, aspring for biasing said shutters to closed position, means for actuating said shutters to open position, an emergency brake, and operative connections between said shutters and said brake, includin a spring whereby said shutters are actuat if by the application 7 of said brake, and said brake may be further applied after said shutters have reached closed position.

9. In a radiator shutter control, the combination of a radiator of an automotive vehicle, with a plurality of shutters for controlling the flow of air through said radiator, a spring for biasing saidshutters toclosed position, a thermostat responsive to engine heat for controlling said shutters, a'second spring interposed between said thermostat and shutters, an emergency brake, and opera 'tive connections between said shutters and brake including a third spring, whereby said shutters may also be actuated by the appli; cation of said brake, and said brake may be further applied after said shutters have reached closed position.

10. In a pulley device for radiator shutter controls, the combination ofa flat plate having a pulley supported on the same for rotation on an axis parallel to said plate, said plate having an aperture, with an automobile radiator, and means, passing through said radiator and aperture to clamp said plate on said radiator.

11. In a pulley device for radiator shutter controls, the combination of a fiat plate having a pulley supported on the same for rotation on an axis parallel to said plate, said plate having an elongated aperture and a tubular projection extending from its back with an automobile radiator, said projection being received in a radiator opening, and means passing through said radiator and aperture to clamp said plate on said radiator.

12. In a pullev device for radiator shutter controls, a flat plate having an elongated aperture in the same, a pair of forwardly projecting flanges on said plate forming bearings, a pulley rotatably mounted in said bearings, and a backwardly extending tubular projection forming an aperture in said plate adjacent the periphery of said pulley.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 14th day, of April, 1927.

CHARLES A. PIPENHAGEN- 

